Scuffle over baseball bat leads to domestic violence charge

CANFIELD -- A Northview Drive man was arrested Wednesday night after he wrestled with police over possession of an aluminum bat.
James Essad, 58, 180 Northview Drive, was charged with domestic violence. Police arrived at Essad's house at 8:30 p.m. after his daughter called and said her father was arguing with her husband in the driveway. The husband and Essad's daughter are going through a divorce, according to the police report.
Police arrived to find Essad standing outside the husband's car with the bat. The husband was starting to get out of his car.
An officer told the husband to get in the car and ordered Essad to drop the bat. Essad approached the husband and the officer and raised the bat as if to strike them.
A second officer then grabbed the bat and struggled with Essad. Both officers managed to take the bat before separating the men.
The husband and Essad's daughter had conflicting stories about how the dispute began. The prosecutor at the Mahoning County Court in Canfield advised police to arrest Essad on a charge of domestic violence.
Essad is scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Friday in county court.